Rosecliff: Location

{from osvchic's photostream}

I love me some dress up action. When I actually have a legitimate reason to get fancy, I'm over the moon - which is why I'm so excited to be attending a black tie ball at the Rosecliff Mansion in Newport, RI, this May.

Because I delight so much in the process, I'm going to use the run-up to the event to share with you a few of my favorite products and sources, some of which will hopefully be of use to those planning a wedding, those planning to attend a wedding, or those who also have a ball to attend (lucky ducks!).

For today's post, I thought I'd share a few photos of the mansion itself, for those who are not familiar with it.


{from globaltraveler2007's photostream}

Rosecliff, modeled after the Grand Trianon at Versailles, was completed in 1902.


{from tinklestoe's photostream}

The original owner entertained in lavish style, including a fairy tale dinner and a party featuring Harry Houdini.


{from Paul-W's photostream}

The movie version of The Great Gatsby was filmed inside the mansion and on its grounds.


{from justmecpb's photostream}

Next week, I'll share my search for a sophisticated, classic, and black-tie appropriate gown (on a budget!).

{Hint: it's harder than it sounds!}

Guest post on Rock 'n Roll Bride

I'm guest posting on the fabulous Rock 'n Roll Bride this week. If you enjoy my inspiration boards, head over to her blog to see the one I made especially for her rock and roll readers!

Here's a sneak peek:


And here's the link: Be Inspired

Board No. 25: Gold Rush

{Click image to enlarge!}

This board brings the sunshine, but in a refined, elegant way. I love the juxtaposition of the shiny gold trophy cup and the rustic, natural succulents. Succulents are easy to propagate at home in the months before the wedding {saving you money in the process!}. Treasure hunt at garage sales and flea markets for small bowls and cups in shades of pewter, bronze, and gold, transplant your succulents, then cluster them in the center of tables or display as favors. A single bud tucked into each place setting is another great detail, and a project you can use your cuttings for, as well. My favorite thing about this board, though, has got to be the miniature limoncello sodas - serve them at cocktail hour with straws.

The Details
First row, left to right:
Trophy cup centerpiece by Artfool and photo by Karen Hill; ceremony photo by Zoom Photography via Snippet & Ink; gold headpiece via Rebecca Thuss

Second row:
Sand, succulent, and rose escort card display by Modern Day Design; gold ceiling photo by Jenifer Altman; succulent goblets via Once Wed

Third row:
Dress portrait by Meg Smith Photography; limoncello via Style Me Pretty; gold and crystal earrings photo by Aaron Delesie on Style Me Pretty

Fourth row:
Place setting photo by Aaron Delesie on SMP; gold satin ribbon cake from Martha Stewart Weddings; succulent wreath via Brilliant Asylum

As always, I would love to work with you to put together a custom inspiration board for your wedding or party! Check out the details here and purchase here.

Monday, Monday + The Sun

{photo c/o Our Labor of Love - see more here}

I'm ready for some sun after the dreary weekend we just had. If you're looking for some sunshine-y love, too, I've got an inspiration board coming your way that just might help you out!

Potting Puttering

Ready for spring and loving this potting station. Who says you can't use indoor furniture outside?

Mine!

So we've all heard that the magazine industry is going the way of the dodo bird (which is a hilarious expression if I've ever heard one). Which is why I was intrigued when a friend alerted me to a new Time Inc. venture, "Mine," which they're calling a "custom magazine."

Here's how it works: you choose five magazines out of the eight choices they offer, then the editors pull content from each and deliver a customized magazine to your mailbox or inbox every two weeks. This concept is still in beta, so the introductory offer is for five issues. The best part? It's FREE!

Of course I signed up - and you should, too! Click here to pick your magazines.

P.S. Curious about what I picked?

M & C

I'm in need of some inspiration today so I thought I'd share one of my all-time favorite weddings with you, shot by the incredibly talented Leigh Miller.















The details are incredible - lavender in silver julep cups, dinner under huge old trees hung with chandeliers, a silhouette artist and foosball tables for extra entertainment - and who knew baby's breath could be so beautiful? You simply have no other choice than to click over to Leigh's blog and see the rest of her images here and here.

Down on the farm

Since you all had such lovely things to say about my farm photos in last week's giveaway post, I thought I'd share a few more with you, this time in color.









Most were taken by my honey {so talented!}. You can see some more of his work here, at his flickr photostream. And while we're talking about J and his camera, here's one of his all-time favorite subjects, his pretty little kitty Marple. She had a wonderful, long life and we were so sad to see her leave us this past week.

Board No. 24: Spring Fling

{Click image to enlarge!}

Since last Friday was the first day of spring, I thought I'd start off the week with a punchy pastel party. The color palette is all over the board - pale pink, rosy pink, yellow, gold, white, aqua, green, black, brown - but a stunning location (here, a shabby chic barn) is enough to pull the look together. The bride wears gold ballet flats under a simple sheath dress, dessert or intermezzo sorbet is served in silver footed dishes, and sparkling chandeliers hang down the center of one long table. A black bouquet and the dark center of anemones cut the sweetness just enough.

The Details
First row, left to right:
Ranunculus, black ivy, and olive bouquet from Martha Stewart Weddings, boutonnieres by Artfool, heart necklace photo by Ashley McCue via Once Wed

Second row:
Barn from Martha Stewart Weddings, dress photo by Whitebox Weddings, sorbet photo by France Ruffenach, ballet flats photo by Jose Villa

Third row:
Portrait by Brooke Schwab, tree ceremony photo by Jose Villa

Fourth row:
Anemone centerpiece from Style Me Pretty, pink flowergirl flats available at Crew Cuts, confetti exit photo by Meg Smith

P.S. Since I always enjoy seeing the sources of others' inspiration: the photo below from the J. Crew catalog was the original image for this board. As you can see, I went a little brighter and a little deeper but kept the black.



And as always, if you like what you see here, let me make you a custom inspiration board! Check out the details here and purchase here!

Poster print winner!

Without further ado, our winner is Anna W!

She said:
"I recently went on a trip to Northern California and would like to enlarge one of my beautiful coastal photographs for the poster print."

Anna: You will be receiving an email shortly regarding your prize. Congratulations, and thank you to all who entered!

Monday, Monday + Vanities

Spending some time this weekend pulling from my Deco File on Domino... I miss it already. Make sure you lock away your favorites soon, because who knows how long the site will stay up now that the last issue's on news stands.

Poster print giveaway winner coming up next!

Giveaway Reminder: Win a poster print!

Just a reminder that Peach & Pearl's first ever giveaway closes at midnight tonight! To enter to win a free 16x20 poster print of your choice from Online Poster Printing, hop over to the original post and tell me what image you'd choose to print if you're the winner!


{Image via Snippet & Ink}

P.S. I'll be drawing the winner at random this weekend and will announce the lucky lady or gent on Monday!

Happy Weekend + Cumberland Island

{by moi}

One more photo from our trip to Cumberland Island in Georgia. I forgot to mention in the original post that I can now absolutely, most definitely check off No. 58 in my 101 in 1001. If you're following along, I've now accomplished 10 of my goals, with several more in the works. Writing it out like that makes me realize I should get a move on, so perhaps this weekend I will start on no. 10, compile no. 45, or recruit one or two more for no. 55. What are your plans?

My new favorite...

...flatware. By Reed & Barton, as seen in the very last issue of Domino (sniff sniff). Sterling silver. The loveliest part of this dignified design is the delicate beading around the edge, which this photo does not do justice to. However, each 5-piece place setting clocks in at a whopping $518, so I think these will stick to gracing the tables of my dreams. See more here.

Well Wed Cape Cod: Amelia Rose

One of my favorite vendors from the Well Wed event was Amelia Rose. Her jewelry collection is equally at home paired with jeans or a Jenny Lee, and I'm currently coveting many of her delicate designs for myself. Here are some of my favorites:


I'm not generally a big earring person, but these honey quartz drop earrings are calling my name...


Rose Quartz drop earrings on 14k gold wire


Honey quartz pendant and pink amethyst and freshwater pearl pendant


A new something blue, perhaps? London blue topaz single pendant.

My personal favorite isn't on the website yet but should be soon:


Amethysts topped with delicate clusters of gold vermeil balls

The best news? Until March 31, get 20% off at Amelia's store! Use coupon code "WINTER20" at checkout. Happy shopping!

Well Wed Cape Cod

Thanks to the lovely Abby at Style Me Pretty, I scored free tickets to last weekend's Well Wed Cape Cod "Wedding Affair." This was the magazine's first Affair on the Cape, though they've held similar events throughout New England in past years. As their website describes, "Unlike your typical "expo style" bridal events, The Cape & Islands Wedding Affair provides you with an intimate & lavish setting in which to meet Cape Cod, Nantucket & Martha's Vineyards' most celebrated & sought after wedding professionals."

Held at the Ocean Edge Resort & Club in Brewster, the ladies and participating vendors certainly rolled out the red carpet for their guests - quite literally, as an aisle runner stretched from the mansion's front door to the granite steps where the limo-shuttle dropped off guests. Once inside, brides were given a swag box filled with letterpress cards, pearl earrings, perfume samples, and gourmet chocolate, as well as complimentary copies of Well Wed Cape Cod and Martha Stewart Weddings. Besides weddings, the theme of the day seemed to be alcohol and sugar, as there were chocolate-covered cranberries, "tie the knot" martinis, vanilla, lemon, and chocolate cupcakes, a candy buffet, wine samplings, etc. at every turn.

My party started out by sampling some appetizers from the Ocean Edge caterers {delicious!}. We toured rooms filled with bouquet and linen samples, checked out various photographers' portfolios, entered to win a Martha's Vineyard vacation, enjoyed the big band tunes of Four Guys in Tuxes {highly recommended!}, learned about menu planning at a wine & entree pairing seminar, and generally feasted on sugar. The vanilla cupcakes sprinkled with edible gold dust were especially impressive:


{Made by the talented Delicious Desserts in Falmouth, MA}

My favorite part of the evening, however, was the runway show. This was my first time attending something like this, and was quite excited to snag front-row seats. The best part? I was able to take some close-up shots to share with you all! My photos are on the left; the designers' are on the right.


I loved the snappy/preppy bow on the back of this gown. {Hayworth by Amy Kuschel}


The lace on this one was delicate and subtle, and the organza tiers at the hem were beautiful. {Tess by Lea-Ann Belter}


You know I love ruffles - how could I resist this one? {Hyatte by Cymbeline USA}


A sweet dress from Melissa Sweet. {Sidney}


I think this dress would be perfect for a rustic & romantic wedding - the delicate details against the rough wood and hay of an old barn would be lovely and unexpected, no? {Princess by Claire Pettibone}


Sleek and stunning. This one was gorgeous moving along the runway. {Dietrich by Amy Kuschel}

A huge thank you to Abby and Well Wed for allowing me to come and check things out! I had a great time and met several talented vendors, two of which I'll be introducing you to later today. Until then, I'm curious: which is your favorite dress?

Board No. 23: Luck of the Irish

{Click image to enlarge!}

Because I introduced Peach & Pearl's first giveaway yesterday (Go enter! Click here now!), I decided to save Monday's inspiration board for today, which is appropriate since it's in honor of St. Patrick's Day! I fell in love with the emerald-kelly-almost blue green of the rustic old mailbox in the top photo, and decided to build a board around it. Subtle nods to Ireland - a clover charm necklace, a fiddler for the cocktail hour, Guinness at the reception - as well as a horseshoe-themed invitation set make for a fun but not cheesy, elegant but modern wedding. And who wouldn't want a little extra luck to start a marriage off on the right foot?

The Details
First row, left to right:
Mailbox photo by Elizabeth Messina via Oh How Charming!; necklace by Ornamental Things via Style Me Pretty; groomsmen photo by Our Labor of Love

Second row:
Vintage hanky wrapped bouquet by Martha Stewart Weddings; portrait of bride by Todd Pellowe via Southern Weddings; blue Ball jars by Martha Stewart Weddings

Third row:
Topiary ring bearer pillow by Martha Stewart Weddings; invitation photo by Mary Claire via Style Me Pretty

Fourth row:
Escort card board photo by Jose Villa via Once Wed; boutonniere photo by Stella Alesi on SMP; tablescape by Fete NY

Like what you see? Let me make you a custom inspiration board! See the details here and purchase here!

Poster Print Giveaway!

Exciting news, P&P readers! Online Poster Printing has generously offered to host Peach & Pearl's first giveaway - one 16x20 poster print to a lucky reader!



I'm soon going to be faced with the prospect of decorating some blank walls myself and have decided to order a few poster prints, as well. I'm deciding between two options:






Both photos are of my father's family farm, one of my favorite places.

To enter:
Check Online Poster Printing's website, then comment below telling me what you would do with your poster print if you win! Make sure to include a valid email address so we have a way of contacting you. The contest will run until Friday, March 20 at midnight EST and the winners will be announced the following Monday. Contestants who live outside the US & Canada must pay shipping if they are chosen as a winner.

I can't wait to see what you all have to say!